BRADLEY — There is a cost to providing outdoor fun.

Just ask the Bradley Village Board.

On Monday, the Bradley trustees approved a series of contracts — the most costly being the 11 contracts for improvement to the 15-acre Lil’s Park along North Street — for $3.56 million.

In addition to Lil’s, the village is also targeting around $1.3 million to upgrade two east side parks, Quail and Glenn’s parks.

If all goes as hoped, the village-owned park could be cooling off young and old alike by June 1, Mayor Mike Watson said.

The most expensive portion of the Lil’s project is the nearly $560,850 contract with Fountain Technologies of Wheeling to construct the 6,000-square-foot splash pad which will be the signature feature of the park’s overhaul.

Regarding the Fountain contract, nearly $300,000 of the cost is for splash pad features. The remainder of the contract includes plumbing and equipment installation for just over $222,000. The remainder of the splash pad cost is for electrical, grounding and bonding installation, $41,300.

Site work, Watson said following Monday’s board meeting, could begin within the next few weeks.

The project is being overseen by Kankakee-based general contractor Piggush-Simoneau, Inc. Per its bid, PSI will earn $127,713 for managing the project.

The 11 contracts for the project include:

• Tenco Excavating, of Bourbonnais, site work: $444,000;

• Lavicka, Inc., of Milford, landscaping: $278,525;

• Alliance Fence Corp., of Joliet, fencing: $66,040;

• Fountain Technologies, of Wheeling, splash pad: $560,850;

• PSI, of Kankakee, concrete: $425,138;

• RAMCORP, of Wilmington, masonry: $132,000;

• PSI, general trades: $543,904;

• Langlois Roofing, Kankakee, roofing: $63,510;

• Tatro Painting & Decorating, Clifton: $20,579;

• Glade Plumbing & Piping, Kankakee: $127,770;

• Ruder Electric, Kankakee: $303,660.

Currently, Lil’s Park contains walking paths, baseball/softball diamonds and a covered picnic area.

Watson and trustees have been determined to make this park a central piece of the village.

Watson has previously stated Bradley parks have long been ignored in terms of upkeep and improvements. He said it is his goal to upgrade a couple parks on an annual basis. In all, the village owns and manages 17 parks.

Concerning the cost, Watson said the prices came in higher than he had anticipated.

He described the prices as a “shocker.”

“It’s our premier park. We want to put forth all the best amenities,” he said.

<strong>QUAIL PARK/GLENN’S PARK</strong>

Regarding Quail Park and Glenn’s Park, plans are in the final design phase by Hitchcock Design Group.

Quail Park, in the east Bradley subdivision of Quail Hollow, immediately south of Armour Road and east of Illinois Route 50, will feature four pickleball courts, a sheltered area and play areas.

Upgrades in this 2-acre park are expected to be in the $750,000 range.

Regarding Glenn’s Park, this park will feature handicapped-accessible play stations as the east Bradley, half-acre park is near the River Valley Special Recreation Association property.

The park will feature a bocce court on artificial turf. The cost of Glenn’s Park upgrades is anticipated to be in the $550,000 range. Like Quail Park, Glenn’s will also have a picnic area as well as an 18-foot-by-18-foot gazebo.

Watson expects the work to be started and completed on these two parks in 2024.

Both parks will have an artificial surface to keep away from mud and wood chips.

“These upgrades have been a long time coming,” said Rob Romo, Bradley finance director. “They have been neglected for a long time. We believe this is a good way to improve the quality of life here. This is a good use of taxpayer money.”

So how does Bradley fund projects like the overhaul of Lil's Park, the redevelopment of West Broadway Street and the baseball/softball complex, among other developments?

That easy to answer, noted finance director Rob Romo.

The village has a revenue stream unlike any municipality in the region and it's called sales taxes.

Of course, every town has sales taxes coming into their budget through stores and shops, big and small.

But Bradley has a stranglehold on retail these days and for the foreseeable future with thriving retailers such as Walmart, Meijer, Kohl's, Menards, Lowe's, Hobby Lobby, hotels/motels, vehicle dealerships and a wide assortment of restaurants.

For the fiscal year ending April 30, 2023, the village collected through the standard 1% sales tax a total of $7,888,288, records showed.

Through the home rule tax enacted a few years ago, the village collected another $5,297,480.

Finally, through the business district tax which went into effect Jan. 1, 2022, the village collected another $4,115,227.

Those three pots of money brought in $17,300,995.

The village is so flush with cash that it has been rebating its portion of property taxes to property owners, to the tune of about $2.2 million.

For the fiscal year concluding April 30, 2022, the village brought in $14,423,944. The total was lower in large part due to the fact the business tax did not take effect until there were only four months remaining in that fiscal year.

It is easy to assume funds like these will continue to carve a path into the village's budget. The pace of income could even grow as projects come on line to drive even larger numbers regarding sales taxes.